Tag Archives: Audio recording Studio sydney

Stating your own band

Most teenagers at some stage have a dream of being in a band. As soon as you begin to listen to popular music on RAGE or Video Hits. Ideas start forming about perhaps becoming famous. Add to this the fuel of watching documentaries on famous bands like the Rolling Stones or The Beatles. With this inspiration it very likely that you will begin to plan your own musical career path and find yourself in a Sydney Recording Studio. Being in a band does not have to be a pipe dream that never comes true. It simply requires a bit of organisation and a dream. What sort of band do you want to start? Which style would you choose? Ultimately the answers to these questions are: the style that you love the most. The style that says who YOU are and how you feel inside.

To cover or not to cover?

You should ask yourself a few questions. Do you you want to start out from scratch in a band that writes and performs original music? Perhaps you have a number 1 hit up your sleeve. Does your band want to begin by playing the music of others in a cover band? Covers bands are a great way to start out as a musician. I remember my first covers band which we named Crowded Outhouse which is now known as NOAH. Our aim was to play hits from all the ages. In particular the band played songs by the Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Cream. We also played contemporary songs by bands like Matchbox 20, Live and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Of course we did have a dream of being famous but we came out of the 90’s with something more valuable. There was an understanding and appreciation of music an how it is put together. Eventually we mustered up the creative powers to record together. Eventually we found ourselves morphing into an originals band. Yes we found ourselves in a Sydney Recording Studio putting down tracks of our own.

We used to encourage each other and constantly strive for inspiration to write and record better. I remember one year we all went to the Hunter Valley for our bass players birthday. The band had a weekend retreat up there and came home with half an album worth of ideas. It wasn’t long before we were in a Sydney sound studio listing to our music come to life. There is no greater pleasure than walking into a Sydney recording studio and hearing your songs come to life.

Rehearsing

When starting a band rehearsals can range from once a week to 2 times per week. Less frequently is ok if you and the other band members have full time jobs. It really depends what you are looking for out of a band and how much you want to invest into it. Perhaps it is just an outlet or form of stress relief? Are you really aiming to go somewhere and are very goal oriented. This is important for all the band members to discuss. Before you enter a Sydney Recording Studio you will want to share the same vision for your project.

Often songs are not fully complete upon entering a Sydney sound studio. There is nothing wrong with this. When you enter a Sydney recording studio like Crash Symphony Productions the main thing you need are the bones of a chord structure, lyrics and inspiration for a song. You will find that a good producer will help you bring out the best of the song. Sometimes this will involve working in the recording studio to add extra components to the song, like solos, instrumentals, introductions or Outros. If you don’t feel confident enough yourself to track all the instruments, a good voice over studio will have a plethora of great session musicians on tap to come and track for you. Crash Symphony Productions can put the best instrumentalists in Sydney onto your songs and make them radio worthy.

Landing your first gig

The most exciting thing about having your own band is having your first gig! This is a great opportunity to shine in front of your friends and family. If you have concerns about being accepted into a venue, remember you can always organise your own gig! I remember my very first gig with my first band. It was on a giant septic tank out the back of the lead singer’s house. We held it as a concert for friends and parents and we felt like absolute super stars. It wasn’t long after that that we started to play at friends parties.

Our band played for free or for drinks at first. When we got enough experience performing we were able to enter the pub scene. I remember the first time we landed a gig at the local bowling club. This was a big milestone for us and we used the money to buy our first sound equipment. The best way to get gigs in this day and age is to record a good video. Crash Symphony productions can do this for you with state of the art gear and a green screen. Its a great way to get ahead and get the attention of agents.

Tips for EQ

EQing is a big subject but it doesn’t’ need to be intimidating in a Sydney sound studio. The best way to think of EQ is to understand that each instrument has its own “space”. We generally don’t want to invade that space with other instruments. We want to keep them distinct so they stand out more and occupy the frequencies that are most appropriate for them. Its as much about separating instruments as it is about blending in a recording studio! For example: Generally you don’t want to have a really bass heavy electric guitar mix because it will muddy the actual bass guitar mix. Another thing that can interfere with your bass guitar mix is unwanted lower mids in the kick drum. We want big lows on the kick and even some highs to give it some cut through but we don’t want it muddying up the bass mix. Sometimes when mixing we have to focus less on the actual sound of the individual instrument. Try and get a big picture of how it interacts with other instruments. Understanding frequency ranges is essential for this concept to flow nicely for you when you are mixing.

Tips for EQ inside certain frequency boundaries:

20 – 80Hz: These frequencies tend to be felt more than actually heard. They are where the “power” in the mix comes from. They give drive to the rest of the mix. The bass and kick drum live down here.

80 – 250Hz: The danger zone!!! Please remember this. A lot of instruments meet here and all compete for space so it’s really worth cleaning this up on each individual track. We don’t’ want it to be overcrowded and muddy here.

250 – 2kHz: This is where you will spend most of your time creating and sculpting the beauty of a good mix in a sydney recording studio. The fundamental harmonics of most instruments are in this range. Learn what instruments are most prevalent in this region and clean up around them to let them really shine and stand out.

2k – 5kHz: Try and be subtle in this area. It’s very powerful and gives clarity to most instruments. Be careful not to go overboard here because it can make a mix sound harsh. Sometimes it can be a fine line between crystal clear, crisp clarity and rowdy harshness.

5k – 8kHz: Particularly important in a Voice over studio – this is where the “s” sounds live and where consonants are defined. You give clarity to a vocal in this region.

8k – 20kHz: This is great for the top end of the Hi-hats and all cymbals. It’s a shimmering place, adds brightness and sparkle to the mix of your Sydney sound studio.

Tips for EQ with specific instruments:

Voice: If the voice is really booming you can use a high pass filter at 150Hz. If it is too thick and intrusive you can cut a bit out of the danger zone at around 240Hz. If you feel they are not standing out in the mix enough, boosting 2.5k will help them to cut through.

Bass guitar: Basses vary a lot and different instruments have different characteristics. Spend some time getting to know a bass during the input phase. Some melt like butter perfectly into any mix with very little work (like the Fodera NYC at Crash Symphony Productions). Others on the other hand require a bit more love and attention. Generally speaking if you feel the bass is too muddy, try cutting 160 – 200Hz. 700 to 1kHz will help the individual notes to stand out. This zone will also create that “new string” sound if the strings aren’t fresh. Be warned though, a lot of other instruments need that space between 700 and 1k so boost it sparingly and possibly automate it a little for “bass feature” passages.

Live Piano

Often the most complex instrument to mix. This really depends on the mics you are using and where they are positioned. Stay tuned for another article on this topic. If it is boomy you can often find the problem between 200 – 350Hz. If it’s a bit honky and “barking” cut more towards 400 – 500Hz. Between 2 and 4kHz you can get it to cut through. A little often goes a long way in that region!

Kick and lower toms

They will almost always sound quite boxy at around 500Hz and you can usually cull a fair bit in that region. 5k is where you will get the cut through to make sure they aren’t just lost in lows and low mids. 60-80Hz will give you the power and the drive that you want mostly from a kick drum.

Hi- Hat

A hugely important instrument that can determine groove, subdivision style and so many other important characteristics in a song. Cut back on lows and low-mids. You don’t really need much down there. Above that experiment and look for the character you want. Don’t forget 8k – 20k where you will get the brilliance.

Snare

You can be fairly gentle with most snares (though of course they vary). Generally speaking they can stand to lose a bit around 600Hz. 4k on the other hand can really give them the smack and cut through they need to drive a song. Depending on the drum itself and how it is tuned, 200Hz can sometimes be appropriate to boost a little. Experiment and see if this is what you’re looking for. Refer to 80’s power ballads for this style of snare!

For further reading to optimise your work in a Sydney recording studio, make sure you check out Udemy!

How to Find a Good Audio Recording Studio in Sydney?

The music industry is an exciting and artistic industry. Every artist (or band) emerging who shows their talent has to acquire the services of a good audio recording studio. The audio recording studio you choose plays a significant role in creating a high quality and award-winning music project. Finding a reputable audio recording studio isn’t an easy task. To help you out, here are a few features to look for when choosing a good audio recording studio:

Control Room

To create the perfect sound and music, the audio recording studio you choose must have a functional and flexible control room. This must be able to handle a wide variety of projects. The control room should have the most current high-tech equipment, such as microphone pre-amps, high-end microphones and reverb processors, with a good digital audio workstation (DAW). In addition, the atmosphere should be comfortable and promote creativity. Adequate lighting and good sound-proofing make long recording sessions enjoyable.

Live Audio Recording Studio Room

When it comes to the live audio recording studio room, firstly, it should be large enough to create a full acoustic environment. A reputable audio recording studio will always feature several isolation booths. One should be large enough to contain a drum kit. The booths should have the best sound-proofing and acoustic environment for vocals, guitar amps, and speakers. The recording room should also accommodate facilities and equipment required for narration, music mastering, music mixing, voice-over, sound design, vocal recording, and location sound recording.

Multifaceted Production

One of the most expensive and time-consuming parts of a music project is when an artist or band has to travel around different locations to complete the essential production steps. So, before making your decision, make sure the audio recording studio houses different departments so that you can complete most (if not all) of the music project in one location. The departments are listed below:

Graphic Design Department – To create and design the cover for your album, and to add special effects or anything else required to make your album look more appealing.

DVD or CD Authoring Department – For the quality design of your DVD or CD album, including menus, packaging, and on-body print. Other factors that come under authoring include encoding, pre-mastering, and quality control.

DVD or CD Duplication Department– If you plan on selling copies of your album, which of course you will, the audio recording studio must have a DVD or CD duplication department.

Promotion Department – Of course, for the success of your album, you will need to create hype and attract the attention of people. This is where the promotion department comes in. It helps in creating effective TV commercials, pod-casting, and post-production videos.

Now that you are familiar with the features mentioned above, choosing the perfect audio recording studio for your album or single won’t be a problem. You can also acquire the services of Crash Symphony Productions, which is one of the best audio recording studios in Sydney.